1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of location systems and protocols for mobile devices.
2. Related Art
Communication networks exist that allow for electronic mobile devices to communicate with and retrieve information from a variety of content providers in the network. The mobile device can be located anywhere in the world.
For particular types of information, it is necessary to provide location information in order to process a request from the mobile device. For example, a user may require weather information from a content provider located on the Internet. In order for the content provider to process a request for weather information, the content provider must know where the user is geographically located in the world.
Heretofore, methods that provide location information of a user, through their mobile device, are network carrier, connection hardware, and connection software dependent in that a particular type of hardware can only interface with a particular network carrier in order to provide location information of a specific format. In other words, the entire system is designed for a one-to-one relationship between the hardware device and the network carrier when providing location information to a third party, such as a content provider.
Further, it is preferable that the location information be of a specific format in order for the content provider to understand the information and process a request for information. In some cases, the method may also be dependent on a proxy server to convert location information of the specific format to a published standard format. In that case, the proxy server is able to interpret and understand the information of the specific format.
For example, an Internet capable mobile handheld device can submit a request for weather information to a content provider over a communication network through a proxy server. The proxy server acts to convert the transfer of information between the mobile device and the content provider. In fact, the proxy server ensures that location information coming from the mobile device is converted to a particular format as requested by the content provider. The request for location information of a specific format from the content provider may be embedded in the web clipping application specific to the content provider. The format required by the content provider may be a mailing zip code as used in the United States of America.
Understanding that the content provider requires location information, the connection software driver that connects the mobile device to a network communicates with a particular network carrier for specific location information. The communicated location information can be of any particular type, as long as the connection software driver, the network carrier, and the proxy server understand the format and type of information.
In particular, one type of information can be tower information. When communicating with the network, the connection software driver in the mobile device may have access to information about the tower or base station that the mobile device connects through to access the communication network. Specifically, a particular type of information is the tower ID or identification number.
The connection software driver in the mobile device sends the tower ID information to the proxy server. The proxy server then can convert the tower ID information to a zip code that corresponds to the location of the accessed tower. This conversion can be facilitated with the use of a mapping table that ties specific towers to specific zip codes.
After the proxy server converts the location information, the complete request for weather information, including the converted location information, is sent to the content provider for weather information. The content provider, with the proper location information in the proper zip code format, then sends a web page back to the proxy server with the weather information to be sent to the mobile device.
A problem exists in that the process for transferring the location information is device and network carrier specific. If the mobile device were to connect to the Internet using a different network carrier and different connection software driver, then location information of any type would not be generated. The connection software driver would not be able to or understand how to receive tower information from the different network carrier in order to process a request for location information. Thus, the method requires that the mobile device use a particular network carrier.
Thus, the mobile device must connect to the network using specific connecting hardware, a specific connecting software driver, and a specific network carrier. Each of these dependent components understand that location information of a specific format is required, e.g., that of tower ID. If, however, the mobile device uses a different connecting hardware, such as a wireless internal modem instead of a built-in radio, the software driver associated with the modem will not know or understand that location information is requested. As such, the software driver associated with the modem will not be able to send the necessary tower ID information to the proxy server.
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and system for providing geographic location information for a mobile device to a third party through a communication network. The present invention provides a more flexible mechanism and protocol for providing location information. In addition, the present invention provides a better interface over a communication network between a mobile device and a third party for providing location information. Also, the present invention provides for a more universal system that is device and carrier independent for providing location information over a communication network.
Specifically, embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and system for providing location information of a mobile device to third parties in a communication network through a protocol that is device and network carrier independent. Position information of any first format is sent to a proxy server in a location information packet. An identifier that identifies the type and format of the position information is also sent.
The proxy server then takes the location information packet and based on its identifier, calls a proxy software driver, such as an executable plug-in module. The proxy driver is able to convert the position information of the first format into at least one of a plurality of published standard location formats.
Additionally, the executable plug-in module is able to recognize which of the plurality of standard location formats most closely matches or exactly matches the format required by the content provider. After the position information is converted to the format required by the content provider, the proxy server sends the position information to the content provider.
In one embodiment of the present invention, location information of a first format is sent from a mobile device to a proxy server. Position information of a first format is created indicating the geographic location of the mobile device. The position information is created by a software driver located in the mobile device. The software driver may be a network connection driver that connects the mobile device to a network carrier. In that case, position information associated with the network carrier, such as tower identification number, is relayed back to the software driver. The software driver may be directed to an internal global positioning satellite (GPS) hardware device located on the mobile device. The software driver may determine location by asking the user for position information.
The position information of the first format is then sent to a proxy server. An identifier that indicates the type and format of the position information is also sent. The proxy server accesses a first executable plug-in module or program that is directly associated with the identifier. The executable plug-in module is able to convert the position information of the first format into a plurality of standard location formats. In one embodiment, the plug-in module is a dynamic link library (DLL).
The plug-in module is able to determine the required format as required by a content provider. The required format is one of the plurality of standard location formats in one embodiment of the present invention. The plug-in module is able then to convert the position information of the first format into the format required by the content provider. After the conversion, the proxy server sends the position information of the required format to the content provider.
In another embodiment, the standard position information may be of any type providing geographic location and may consist of one of the following: network carrier tower identification; network carrier cell ID; zip code and postal code; global positioning satellite (GPS) coordinates; city name or code; country name or code; state name or code; county name or code; closest major airport name or code; phone area code; train station name or code; time zone; daylight saving time; mobile network ID; mobile network name; mobile network cellular ID; IP address; local time; street name; street address; and user ID.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a mobile device sends a query that is attached to a web clipping application located on the mobile device. The query is directed to a third party, such as a content provider, over a communication network via a proxy server. A location information packet is also sent to the proxy server along with the query. The location information packet also contains the position information of the mobile device, and an identifier that indicates the particular type and format the position information is comprised of.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a third party on the communication network initiates a request for location information pertaining to a mobile electronic device.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a mobile device sends a plurality of position information packets, each of which is identified with an identifier, each of which is associated with a software driver located on the mobile device. The proxy server directs each of the plurality of position information packets to the corresponding executable plug-in module as per the associated identifier. Each plug-in module converts the position information into the standard location format that most closely matches the format required by a requesting third party or content provider. Each plug-in module also gives a satisfaction number that indicates how closely the converted location information matches the required format. For example, if the conversion was exact, the satisfaction number may be one hundred percent.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments which are illustrated in the various drawing figures.